Demons, the Netherworld and lots and lots of stats; Disgaea is back. Anyone expecting a major reinvention for the Tactical RPG in its fourth iteration will be disappointed though, as Disgaea 4 is every bit as true to form as the past 3 games. The plot is mad, the characters are inventive and if it wasn't for some minor changes, you would find it difficult to distinguish this from the PS2 original. This isn't such a bad thing though, as Tactical RPGs go, as Disgaea proves yet again why it's one of the better series in the genre.

For those who love managing statistics in their games, Disgaea 4 has enough to last right through until next year. Each member of your team can be customised with equipment abilities and weapons to increase proficiency in a ridiculous array of Statistics. While most RPGs focus on the main Attack, Defence sort of development, here you can just about upgrade every conceivable aspect of a character's battle prowess. Their Evility for instance is a set of abilities that reflect the unit's current weapon and their proficiency with it. You use points gained through battles to learn new abilities, such as the now infamous Tower abilities which sees units stacked on top of each other for extra powerful skills.

Some of the stages are more like puzzles to be solved than straight up RPG battles

These traits of the Disgaea series are appearing four games on for a reason though; they make for some brilliant Tactical RPG battles. Moving your units across the grid for combo attacks and special skills is as well constructed as ever, being able to set up a sequence of actions across your entire team before executing makes the battles much more strategic too. Players tuned into the various intricacies of the series will no doubt find their feet very quickly here, as while the 'magichange' feature from Disgaea 3 is refined here, the gameplay avoids reinvention. Geo Block are as important as ever too, with areas of the isometric grid granting those that stand on it a bonus status. This could be 25% more XP for defeating an enemy, or give your enemy double defence for instance. By destroying a Geo Block though, you can both cause damage to the units in that area, as well as overriding the current effect with that of the Block.

Combo attacks become vital to success as the game continues

For Disgaea 4, the developers know that most players will have at least tried the series before, so complicated systems like this are explained briefly before some tough integration into the stages early on. As someone who has played a fair amount of the series, I found that the game dropped me in at the deep end in this way. Even with some experience I was forced to relearn the systems very quickly to avoid losing my way. For fans this will be great, but for the inexperienced gamer, it could be a problem.

As a series, Disgaea has always been very 'original' in its storytelling. From the Prinnys, penguin like creatures who blow up when thrown, to the idea of a parallel universe that is home to Demons; it's very fantastical. That isn't to say that Disgaea 4 doesn't tell a worthy story, its tale of a former tyrant overthrowing the Netherworld's government has some strong political undertones. Dealt with in a familiar tongue and cheek way, with over the top characters and situations that fans are accustomed to, it stays on the right side of parody. Cut scenes between battles are well scripted too, with strong characterisation seen throughout the game. The plot is a great addition, even if it isn't the main reason for sticking with the game.

A diverse cast of main characters is just a small section of the available units in Disgaea 4

For all of its successes though, one thing holds Disgaea 4 back from being PS3's defining RPG. It may be a design choice to keep the isometric sprite like character models and settings seen in previous games, but in 2011 artistic quality only gets you so far. The series would greatly benefit from increased production values, not just on the graphics front, but the overall presentation. Menus can be slightly convoluted for instance, and a slicker interface could have made it much more friendly as an experience. The colours are vibrant and the style is well defined, but I can't help but wish for more.

Four games into the series, Disgaea hasn't changed. In some ways this is great, why fix what isn't broken right? The battle system gets better with age for instance, one of the most impressive seen in an RPG of this kind. And the world is even more intriguing than ever, in part due to the move from a school theme to a political one. All of this said, this game could just as easily be a PS2 game, or more likely a PSP title. A taste for micromanagement, high difficulty and a tactical way of battling is essential to enjoy Disgaea 4. As such, those people who have blasted through the previous games will find a lot to enjoy here, but this probably isn't the best starting point for PS3 gamers.

Best Game Moment: Beating on of the many tougher battles that appear later in the adventure gives a great sense of achievement.